Heating apparatus



United States Patent Ofi ice 3,354,915 Patented Jan. 23, 1968 3,364,915 HEATING APPARATUS Robert O. Zielinski, Barry Township, Barry County, Mich. (Rte. 2, Box 20, Delton, Mich. 49046) Filed Mar. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 539,181 Claims. (Cl. 126-109) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An air heating apparatus comprising looped inlet and outlet conduits disposed in laterally spaced relation to each other and having a plurality of air circulating conduits circulatingly connected to the inlet and outlet conduits constituting a pipe assembly. A heating housing is provided in which the pipe assembly is mounted in spaced relation to the walls thereof, said housing having insulated bottom, side and end walls for heating efiiciency purposes. A burner is provided in one of the walls of the housing and is supplied with a flammable gas which is ignited to heat the pipe assembly and the air circulating therethrough so that a quantity of hot air is presented at the outlet conduit.

This invention relates to air heating apparatus. The main objects of this invention are:

First to provide an air heating apparatus adapted for use in heating air in relatively large quantities and under high temperatures and which is relatively compact in proportion to the air it is capable of heating.

Second, to provide an air heating apparatus which is readily adapted for use in heating air for oil wells and various types of buildings.

Third, to provide an air heater of large capacity which is relatively compact and in which there are conduit means or pipes of one dimension.

Fourth, to provide a heating apparatus of large capacity in proportion to its external dimensions and the space required for its use.

Further objects and objects relating to structural details will appear from the description to follow.

Referring to the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a heater unit embodying my invention, the inlet and outlet pipes being partially broken away.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view with inlet and outlet pipes shown partially broken away.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view on a line corresponding to line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view illustrating a desirable type of housing having a heating chamber in which the heating unit of FIGURES 1-4 inclusive is installed.

It is desired to point out that while my heating apparatus was especially designed by me for use in heating oil wells, the apparatus has numerous adaptations such as, for example, heating buildings of the factory and storage types, one heater unit being adapted to heat several houses.

However, it will be understood that no structural variation is required for these difierent uses. It should further be understood that while various parts are illustrated somewhat conventionally, the general assembly illustrated is highly practical.

In a heating apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings, inlet end pipe 1 and the outlet end pipe 2 are shown in parallel substantially laterally spaced relation, the outlet pipe being in a horizontal plane substantially above the plane of the inlet pipe. An end coupling pipe or member 3 parallels and is laterally spaced from the inlet pipe. A further end coupling pipe 3A parallels and is laterally spaced from the outlet pipe. The end pipes 3 and 3A, respectively, lie below and above the outlet 5 and inlet pipes. While it will be understood that the dimensions may be varied according to the amount of air to be heated, the end members 1 and 3, in the structure designed for heating oil wells, are spaced 9 or feet apart. The end pipes 1 and 3 are connected by spaced, preferably parallel outer longitudinal pipes 4 and 5 and intermediate pipes 6, three of the intermediate pipes 6 being provided in the embodiment of my invention illustrated. The end members 2 and 3A are similarly connected by the longitudinal outer members 7 and 8 and the intermediate members 9. The longitudinal members 4 and 5 are connected to the longitudinal members 7 and 8, respectively, at points adjacent but preferably spaced from the ends thereof by the upright pipes 10. Longitudinal side conduits 11 are connected to and between the uprights 10. A plurality, here three, of the side conduits 11 parallel and are spaced between members 4 and 7 and a further plurality of conduits 11 are similarly spaced between and parallel members 5 and 8.

It should be noted that conduit members 6, 9, 10 and 11 are disposed with their ends in abutting relation to side portions of the members to which they are connected. At each connection, free communication is provided between the interiors of the pipes, suitable openings 23 being provided in the walls of pipes 1, 2, 3, 3A, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10 where joined to others of the pipes as illustrated in FIGURE 3. The joints are leakproof and are desirably electrically welded in a manner that permits free circulation throughout the entire assembly. It should be noted that the pipes are all straight and that they are of the same dimension.

This assembly is supported in a closed heating housing, shown somewhat conventionally in FIGURE 5, on feet 22. The housing comprises a base portion 12, side walls 13, only one of which is shown, front and rear end walls 14 and 15 and a top 16, the top being provided with a chimney or housing exhaust pipe 17. An access door, not illustrated, may be provided, if desired, on the heat chamber. As indicated in FIGURE 5, the housing for the conduit unit desirably has properly insulated walls. The inlet 1 and the outlet 2 extend outwardly of the housing as through a side wall, not shown. A fuel, such as natural gas, is fed into the housing by a conduit or burner 18. Oxygen may be supplied from the atmosphere by any convenient means not shown or may be mixed with the fuel in the burner 18. The burner 18 is preferably centered with respect to the end of the air heating apparatus above described and when ignited supplies a flame, indicated in broken lines at 21 which extends into the apparatus and uniformly heats the air passing therethrough.

In use, the inlet pipe 1 connects to a suitable source S of air to be heated and the outlet 2 connects to suitable means M intended to receive the heated air, the air being heated as it passes through the apparatus by the burner 18. As stated, one of the objects of my invention is to provide means for heating oil wells and when so used, the source S comprises a high pressure air source and the discharge conduit 2 is connected to the oil wells to discharge in the bottom thereof. The heating apparatus may also be usedfor heating buildings and the like, hot air being supplied from the conduit 2 as above described. I have illustrated and described my invention in highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not illustrated or described certain modifications or adaptations as it is believed the disclosure made will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A heating apparatus for heating fluid, especially air, comprising: 1

a series of substantially parallel pipes defining the perimeter of an opening; transverse end pipes extending between and communicating with all of the parallel pipes on each side of said opening at opposite ends of said pipes;

an inlet conduit connected to and communicating with a first transverse end pipe on a first side of said opening;

an outlet conduit connected to and communicating with a second transverse end pipe on a second side of said opening, said second side being located opposite said first side and said second transverse end pipe being located at the opposite end of said opening from said first transverse end pipe;

the transverse end pipes on the sides of said opening between said first and second sides also extending directly between and communicating directly with parallel pipes on said first and second sides.

2. The heating apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of parallel pipes defines the perimeter of a rectangular opening.

3. In the combination of claim 1 including a heating housing in which the pipe assembly is mounted in spaced relation to the walls thereof, said housing having insulated bottom, side and end walls, said heating apparatus being mounted in said housing in spaced relation to its bottom, side and end walls.

4. The heating apparatus defined in claim 3, wherein one of said walls in said .heating housing has a passage therethrough and supporting a heating unit positioned coaxially of said opening defined by said plurality of pipes for introducing a quantity of heat into the center of said opening for heating the air passing through said pipes.

5. The heating apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein said plurality of parallel pipes extend parallel to the axis of said heating unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 463,061 11/1891 Lewis 122235'X 2,079,219 5/1937 Lobo 122235 X 2,532,994 12/1950 Chausse 12'6109 X 2,792,815 5/1957 Stipernitz 122-235 3,012,548 12/1961 Guszrnann 122235 JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

